Heretofore, it has been known to provide lip bumpers of various types wherein the lip bumpers are of wire. However, such lip bumpers are not only uncomfortable but may damage lip tissue wherein they inhibit patient cooperation.
Other prior known lip bumpers include acrylic pads along the wire which, while providing some comfort to the patient, are difficult to adjust, rigid and inflexible, require custom making to have proper fit, and are quite costly.
It has also been known to provide wire lip bumpers having plastic tubes fitting over the wire. Such bumpers are rigid and inflexible, tight-fitting into the buccal tubes, and the tubes become filled with contaminants and are unsightly.